Black Women Take Charge: Over 200 Leaders Unite At Georgia Capitol To Push Legislative Agenda

A coalition of Black women is working to address key challenges impacting Black families throughout the state of Georgia.

More than 200 professional Black women from various industries gathered at the Georgia Capitol for an event aimed at harnessing their collective power to influence the legislative agenda in support of Black women and hold lawmakers accountable.

On Jan. 16, the Georgia Black Women’s Roundtable (GA BWR), a women’s initiative of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda (People’s Agenda), united for “Black Women U3: United. Unapologetic. Unstoppable.” The event featured the unveiling of the Georgia Black Women’s Agenda, a report addressing key challenges impacting Black families throughout the state, a press release states.

The GA Black Women’s Agenda highlights critical issues such as economic development, entrepreneurship, and education, calling for increased investment in schools, particularly in underserved areas, to address Georgia’s below-average student funding. The agenda also prioritizes public and mental health, as well as tackling systemic inequalities that disproportionately affect Black women, including significant disparities in maternal mortality rates and reproductive rights.

The agenda also raises concerns about Project 2025, the effects of worsening environmental injustices caused by the rollback of climate action, and voting rights. Emphasizing the vital role of Black women in the electoral process, the agenda calls for stronger measures to ensure their voices are heard and represented.

“What we do matters. We’ve got to start working now to make sure our folks understand the consequences. Voting has consequences,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.

Helen Butler, convener of GA BWR and executive director of the People’s Agenda, emphasized the significance of hosting the event during Atlanta’s week-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. She explained that the timing underscores the coalition’s unwavering dedication to advancing justice and equity for Black families.

“Black women across Georgia are standing together making it clear to legislators and stakeholders that we are united, unapologetic, and unstoppable,” Butler said in a statement. “We intend to shape the policy agenda raising the visibility of issues important to Black women, build political power, and drive accountability from lawmakers.”

The U3 follows GA BWR’s 2024 gathering in Macon, Georgia where Black women came together to develop a comprehensive agenda for Black women, prioritizing critical issues affecting the Black community and identifying actionable solutions for meaningful change. After months of extensive planning sessions and surveys, the ladies created the Georgia Black Women’s Agenda, which highlights the key issues they are now advocating for at the Georgia Capitol.

“God has assembled us together at this state capitol for such a time as this,” said host of “The Wake Up Call with Dee,” Dr. Dee Dawkins-Haigler. “We are here on the very first day of session to let everyone know that Black women are concerned about things that are important to us. Today you are on notice that Black women are here to stay. Our time is now.”

The next step for GA BWR will take place in March 2025, when the organization leads a Georgia delegation to the 14th Annual BWR National Conference in Washington, D.C. During the event, they plan to present the GA Black Women’s Agenda to national representatives.

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